In today’s society, the one value that seems to be gaining more attention by the day is inclusivity. Making sure that no one gets left out and everyone has equal access is the goal.
The online world has actual laws to enforce this idea. It’s called the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which are published by the Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C).
All websites are required to adhere to these guidelines to provide a seamless online experience for everyone without barriers. That’s what web accessibility is all about.
So what are the top web accessibility considerations for 2022 that you should be incorporating into your site development and design? Read on to find out!
15% of the global population, or approximately one billion people, experience some form of disability.
This includes but is not limited to the following:
When you enable web accessibility, you’re helping these one billion people navigate the online world more easily. Not only will you be able to uphold the idea of inclusivity, but you’ll also drive more traffic to your site when you cater to everyone.
Before diving into the considerations for web accessibility in 2022, let’s take a closer look at
the basis of WCAG’s standards.
Some individuals with physical disabilities, such as those with tremors or amputees, rely on their “tab” and “arrow” keys to navigate websites. These keys are used to access interactive elements, such as buttons, links, and fields for inputting text.
Because navigation is generally more challenging using a keyboard alone compared to a mouse or trackpad, one of the most crucial web content accessibility guidelines involves designing sites to be entirely keyboard accessible. To do this, the tab order should always match the visual order. This allows for a more logical and seamless web experience for keyboard-only users.
Additionally, site and blog content should also be written with this web accessibility guideline in mind. It is advised to break up pages that are too long by using anchors links. Doing so enables users to jump straight to the main content of a page without having to navigate it entirely. At the top of longer pages, always include a “jump to main content” button.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines require sites to provide alternatives for time-based media, which includes audio and video content.
Remember to include transcripts for audio content to enable better web accessibility amongst the hearing impaired. If there are soundtracks, music, or sound effects, these should be indicated as well.
On the other hand, video media is required to have captions that are synchronized with the audio. Whether you choose to incorporate open or closed captions, you’re giving everyone the opportunity to appreciate your content in their own way.
Being “understandable” is one of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines’ standards. The easiest way to do this is by choosing readability when creating site content.
People with dyslexia and ADHD tend to be more challenged when it comes to reading. Opting for simple language and short sentences ensures that more people comprehend the information on your website. Remember, readability and substantialness can go hand in hand. Not only will it make your content easier and more enjoyable to read, but it will also boost SEO.
Here’s how you can do just that:
People with vision impairments rely on screen reader software when they access web pages. Your site is bound to have images that enhance the user experience, and you want to make sure no one really misses out on your artistic efforts. By adding image alt text (a short description of the image) to the content on your site, the software will be able to convey the message of the photos to the user.
Often, different colours are used on websites for aesthetic purposes and to highlight important information. Studies show that the colours yellow, orange, and purple actually help increase energy and attention levels for people with learning disabilities.
On the flip side, the colours red and green should be used carefully in order to take individuals with red-green colour deficiency into consideration. Statistics reveal that approximately 8% of all men and 0.5% of all women have this condition. Therefore, do not use these colours to differentiate valuable information that may confuse such individuals. Instead, utilize asterisks or other visual indicators to highlight certain sections.
By using an accessibility colour checker, you can check if you’re preferred contrasts pass the mark.
Designing a website that adheres to all the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines is a breeze when you let the experts handle it. Through The Influence Agency’s web design and development services, you’ll be able to dream up a site that’s remarkable and accessible.
Doesn’t that sound phenomenal?
Our team has worked with some of the world’s biggest brands to create websites that are compellingly on-brand. All you have to do is connect with us to make it happen for your business.
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